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Research Bulletin

Phi Delta Kappa Center for Evaluation, Development, and Research
May 1996, No. 16

Addressing TV Violence in the Classroom
By Alice Evans

As a culture, we have become so casual about violence that we turn our children loose in video arcades where they can shoot electronic guns at life-size human images. So casual that we park our seven-year-olds in front of TV sets where even the children's programs are filled with flickering images of violence. At this time in our history, when kindergartners to high-schoolers have been known to carry loaded guns into our public schools, teachers across America are being challenged -- both personally and professionally -- to face a national crisis of violence.

Susan Colonna has been educating first- and second-graders at Thurston Elementary School in Springfield, Oregon, for 10 of her 15 years as a teacher. She decided to tackle the ugly issue of violence by teaching her second-grade students to look critically at the content of their favorite television shows. How they went about it and what happened is the focus of this bulletin.

CREATING A MODEL

Colonna and fellow Thurston teachers Linda Ahern and Jennifer Carroll developed the segment on television violence, along with objectives and observable behaviors for measuring them, at a workshop in the fall of 1994. The topic -- "Addressing the Issue of Violence in Children's Programs" -- was selected as a way to implement a broader, state-mandated goal, teaching students to deliberate on public issues.(1) The knowledge and skills the teachers wanted students to gain from the instruction included: (1) understanding the concept of violence; (2) differentiating between violence and non-violence; (3) developing a reasonable argument to support a position; and (4) communicating a position orally or in writing.

IMPLEMENTING THE MODEL

Colonna returned to her classroom intent on implementing the somewhat sophisticated component with the second-graders. Her introduction to public issues began with a lesson on Martin Luther King. She read aloud and discussed with the 23 students the books Happy Birthday Martin Luther King and Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last.(2) They watched a film about King's life. They talked about his commitment to non-violence, about how he died, about why he was important. They talked about segregation, role-playing what that might mean in terms of their own lives -- not being able to use the drinking fountain, having to go outside to use the bathroom, being allowed only to use a certain area of the playground. They wrote in their journals.

As a culmination activity, Colonna directed the children to think about problems they might want to change. This produced a variety of responses, such as "no more disease," "an end to drug use," "no more pollution," "no more war," "no more animal poaching." The children asked that "people would stop hating each other because their skin is different" and that "teenagers would be safe." (Incidents of violence, including a stabbing and an off-campus shooting involving students at the nearby high school, had prompted the specificity of the last concern.)

Colonna modeled for them a cloud-shaped mobile she had made. Across the white-on-blue surface, she had written, "I have a dream that one day there will be peace and happiness for all people." Dividing the children into seven work groups, she explained that when they grew up, they would work with other people, and their boss would ask them to listen, to think about their instructions, and to carry out the job with their coworkers. Her job, she said, was to watch them make dream clouds. If they had questions, they were to ask partners in their group for help. If no one in the group could answer, then they were to ask her.

"It was wonderful," Colonna says. "No one asked me anything. I just gave positive feedback -- 'I see you're writing nicely. . . . I see you're using all your rainbow colors.'"

Those who finished ahead helped others complete the task, so that by the end of the work period, everyone was ready to share. These were some of the messages written on the clouds: I have a dream that people would be safe at night; . . . everyone would be good; . . . everyone has enough food; . . . people would get along; . . . there would be no violence.

TALKING ABOUT VIOLENCE

Colonna returned to the lesson she had developed with Ahern and Carroll. She told the students that many people shared their concerns about violence, and because of that the "program police" were going to come into their homes and put black boxes on their television sets so they wouldn't be exposed to so much violence. "The police want to protect you so you can live a safe and happy life. You need to be able to identify what makes a violent program. Some of the shows you watch may be blacked out unless you can convince the program police that they are okay to watch." This box would automatically turn off any program that had violence in it, she explained.

One student said he would move to California if that happened. Another told her, "You can't do that. That's illegal."

Colonna gave the children a few days to ponder the notion of the program police.

On the wall was a chart that listed the skills Colonna was teaching the students to use: think, communicate, collaborate, deliberate public issues. She went through the list item by item, asking the students what they thought the words meant, and then she elaborated.

"When I asked you to share with me your ideas about violence and your dreams about how you could change things, you were showing thinking," Colonna told them.

"You were communicating ideas to me by listening, speaking, writing, reading, drawing.

"When you made your mobiles, I watched you share materials, take turns, help each other -- you were cooperating and collaborating.

"When we talked about Martin Luther King and all the things that happened to him, that was a public issue," she said.

Then, making a transition, she asked, "Remember when I told you about the program police? What did you do? Did I make you think?"

Looking back at the work about Martin Luther King, Colonna and the students began to explore critically the ideas they had touched upon. "I have found on this list of dreams almost everything you told me has something to do with violence," she told them.

She asked the students to share their views on violence. This resulted in a chart titled "What Violence Is," which listed acts such as stabbing; ripping out body parts in video games; shooting guns to hurt or kill; using bad words to hurt others' feelings; punching, pushing, scratching; kicking and punching; and using swords and weapons in TV shows.

"What if the program police were real?" she asked. "How could you prove that your shows are okay and shouldn't be turned off?"

Following the model lesson, Colonna led the children in a discussion of possible concerns of the program police. She brought forth ideas about children imitating violent TV characters; children bringing weapons to school; children including more violence in their play after watching violent TV programs; and children portraying violence in their art and writing after watching violent TV programs. The students talked about how violent programs limit problem solving to violent approaches, teaching children that the ends justify the means when violence gets the desired result. They talked about how violence can lead to people feeling unsafe and unhappy.

Colonna told the students their assignment was to take a look at their television shows to find out if they had too much violence. The students would be asked to form an opinion to present to the program police, she explained. She showed them portions of three TV shows she had videotaped, Power Rangers, Looney Tunes, and another about two little bears that contained no violence, directing them to tell her to stop the tape "every time you see something violent." She practiced with the class until everyone understood the assignment.

COLLECTING DATA

After watching the shows, the students brainstormed, creating categories for TV violence: threats, hitting, kicking, weapons, bombs, other. These categories were used to create a violence tally sheet for collecting data. The six categories were listed in the first column on the sheet, followed by a column for "number of times" and another for "comments" (see Figure 1).

After four days of data collection, the children brought their tally sheets to school. All the children had participated. Some had collected data alone, some with the help of parents, others with the help of VCRs. The tallies varied widely, but, as Colonna says, "The point is not accuracy of tally but awareness of what they tallied." In total, the students counted 649 incidents in 12 hours of programming (see Table 1).

The students were instructed to present their conclusions to the class in the form of a poster, story, or other written statement. They were to state an opinion to give to the program police using one of these three forms.

NATIONAL SPOTLIGHT

Thurston Elementary School Principal Kathi Dew was making a formal observation of Colonna's class the day the students practiced tallying violent acts on TV. Later that day, the district's public relations director called Principal Dew to ask if any classrooms were involved in an activity related to the issue of violence. The PR director contacted the local newspaper about the students' TV violence research, and a Springfield News reporter visited Colonna's classroom. The reporter suggested Colonna contact the Lane County Board of Commissioners, which had as a priority the reduction of youth violence. One of the commissioners, Jerry Rust, visited Colonna's classroom and brainstormed with the children about how they could communicate their research results to others. Rust, an activist, explained how the students could put economic pressure on the sponsors of violent shows, perhaps even boycotting their products.

Rust and the second-graders came up with a six-point plan of action. First, they would write letters to U.S. senators and representatives to share their concerns about TV violence. Second, they would put out a news release about their findings and action plan. Third, they would identify the sponsors of the shows they had surveyed. Fourth, they would contact radio and other media to inform them of their efforts. Fifth, they would write a "Declaration of Independence from Violence." Sixth, they would ask the county commissioners for a resolution supporting their efforts.

Led by Colonna, the children completed all six points of their action plan. To prepare the children to write their own version of the Declaration of Independence, Colonna went to the library, copied the original, and read it to the students. Using the original document as their model, the students wrote their "Declaration of Independence from Violence":

We, the second-grade students in Room 7 at Thurston Elementary School, Springfield, Oregon, declare that the world must have less violence so that we may live safe and happy lives.

Because we believe that children learn from what they see and hear, we pledge to stop watching children's programs that show lots of violence. We also pledge to stop buying the products that are advertised on those shows.

We ask all children in Lane County, Oregon, to join us in our efforts to end violence.

Colonna and the students attended a Lane County Board of Commissioners meeting in late February. The children received a commendation from the board and read their declaration. Outside the meeting room, Colonna and the students were interviewed by all three local television stations. That night, their story hit the airwaves. A reporter covering the commission meeting for the Eugene Register-Guard wrote an article that focused on the children's presentation. Sent out over the Associated Press wire service, the story attracted national attention. The students decided to pour more energy into the project. Responding to Commissioner Rust's suggestion, the entire class voted to boycott the shows' advertisers. Eight-year-old Trevor said he voted for the boycott so that the advertisers "would go out of business, and those really bad shows wouldn't be on TV anymore and violence wouldn't be on TV anymore."(3)

In early March, ABC news correspondent Ken Kashiwahara and his production team flew to Oregon to film the story, and Colonna and the students were featured on ABC World News Tonight with Peter Jennings. (Colonna was invited to appear on Oprah, although she declined.) The teacher and the second-graders were interviewed by radio stations in Oregon and Nashville, Tennessee. Media coverage resulted in letters -- one from President Clinton -- and electronic mail from 17 states. The students began to track the sources of their mail by map.

UNEXPECTED GAINS

Besides helping the students develop some skills required by the Education Reform Act, Colonna wanted to teach them to be aware of the amount of violence they see on television. She remembers one student telling her, "Before this I didn't even know what violence was."Another key outcome proved to be the experience the students gained in speaking before groups. Colonna watched them mature and acquire confidence, sharing information with both fellow students and adults. The students knew they had to understand every aspect of the project because they didn't know when they were going to be called upon. In addition to the ABC news interview, the students presented their project to the Thurston Grange, to a group of teachers in training, and to other classrooms. At any point during a presentation, Colonna would call on different students. "I would say, 'Jennifer, would you get up and share?' The kids took my pointer, and they were the teachers then. That was just fantastic. They presented the whole thing."

Although heterogeneous in many ways -- all white, mostly middle class, mostly Protestant -- the students varied widely in terms of ability. Among the fourteen boys and nine girls were three gifted and talented students and four who qualified for special education in reading. The project challenged all, revealing unexpected strengths and weaknesses. One student who had poor reading skills had excellent speaking skills. One of the gifted students who was an excellent reader proved hesitant to speak. Some students proved to have a good visual memory, others good aural memory.

Students kept journals -- thick documents with original artwork covers. These became their prized possessions, Colonna recalls. Each contained the student's personal work on the project as well as copies of newspaper clippings about their class, copies of letters to networks, sponsors, and political figures, and copies of letters to the class. Chellie's journal entry from January 19 read:

I did a violence survey to find out some answers about how much violence is on TV, and we put all the incidents of violence together and it was 649. I watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. I learned I did not know there was so much violence. I think that we should stop watching those programs. I would stop showing those programs. There is too much violence and it controls kids' behavior.

On February 28 Jeremiah wrote:

Yesterday we told Mrs. Jansen's class about our violence survey. I talked in front of Mrs. Jansen's class. I was a little nervous after they left. Later on in the day a photographer came from The Oregonian. He took a lot of pictures and the reporter had lunch with us.

In a letter she drafted in March, Chellie wrote:

I won't buy the products you advertise! My class hopes you will STOP advertising for the shows. We've heard from people all over the country that agree with us about stopping violence. Some in Eastern China. Lots in Louisiana and Florida. And we've been on TV and even on ABC World News Tonight and in the newspaper too! So could you please choose better shows to give money to?

CONCLUSIONS

While all her other planned curriculum went by the wayside, Colonna recalls, everyone at the school was supportive of the venture -- parents, administrators, teachers, and students. "Only a few students in the upper grades were negative," she says. A letter from a fifth-grader, written after the second-graders presented their project to his class, read in part, "I would boycott but I've grown too much with violence, and it has become a part of me. I don't intend to kill anyone. But I'm not sure how nice I'm going to be."

Another child wrote: "I wish I was in second grade again, and I wish I got to do that project. My mom always is pointing out violence, but you guys really showed me violence is everywhere."

Colonna admits that she appreciates the whole experience more in retrospect. "At the time, it seemed like it increased in size exponentially. It was exhilarating and exhausting at the same time. It was also exciting and rewarding." She estimates she put in hundreds of extra hours as she followed through on the project, work that included answering the flood of letters and electronic mail. She was still working on the project several weeks after the school year ended in mid-June. Indeed, the work of answering letters and requests continues.

Colonna will repeat the project with other classes of second-graders, but it will differ in some ways. The students will correspond about the project with second-graders who have asked for pen pals in other schools. They will write to television producers as well as advertisers. "It won't be publicized," Colonna adds with a hint of a smile.

Colonna talks to former students as they pass in the hall or when they stop by before or after school. Eight returned to her classroom to talk with a visiting Ohio couple touring the country to collect inspiring stories. "All eight are still not watching certain programs. They're still very aware of their project and think it's important," Colonna says.

One boy told Colonna that his family is still boycotting items on the list. One girl said her mother had asked the cable company to remove the channels that showed violent programs. Colonna, too, still boycotts products on the list.

When the students decided to stop watching the programs they surveyed, they came up with a list of alternative activities, such as inviting a friend over to play, going fishing, jumping on the trampoline, or playing with the dog.

ENDNOTES

1. This was one of the "core applications" or goals mandated by the 1991 Oregon Education Reform Act that students must master before graduating.
2. See Jean Marzollo, Happy Birthday Martin Luther King (New York: Scholastic, 1993) and David A. Adler, Martin Luther King, Jr.: Free at Last (New York: Holiday House, 1986).
3. Maya Blackmun, "Violence: Turnoff," The Oregonian, 8 March 1995.